Tk 6,852cr for Padma Bridge in next budget: Muhith

The government would set aside Tk 6,852 crore for building the much- talked about Padma Bridge in the next fiscal. finance minister AMA Muhith said on Saturday.

The government allocated Tk 1,500 crore for the bridge in the revised budget of the outgoing fiscal, Muhith told reporters on the sidelines of a pre-budget discussion he had with a select group of editors of l newspapers, an online new agency and private TV channels at his secretariat office.

He said the government would come up with a plan of funding the bridge and its sources by next week.

Cancellation of the World Bank credit on corruption allegations forced the government to look for alternative funding sources for building the multi-billion dollar Padma Bridge.

Allegations of corruption against former communication sminisyer Syed Abul Hossain and other government functionaries led the WB to cancel the credit.

Credit proposals from Malaysia and China are under the government’s consideration, said officials.

Muhith said the budget for the next fiscal would attach priority to Padma Bridge construction, development of the country’s railway and ports.

He said like previous years the new budget would bring out a separate book on power sector.

He hoped that there would be no electricity shortage in the county from 2017 onwards.

Muhith evaded questions on repeated share market scams and defalcation of banks by Hallmark and other groups.

He said the capacity of budget implementation and the success of annual development programmes increased under the present government.

He said that the mobilization resources from the internal sources also increased.

Muhith said that due to opposition from Muhammad Yunus the government could not bring any changes in Grameen Bank.

Yumus does not want Grameen Bank to sustain, said Muhith.

The government is also unable to appointment a new managing director of Grameen Bank due to opposition from Yunus, said the finance minister.

Muhith said that the acting managing director of Grameen Bank toed Yunus. (Source)